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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — ground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — boats
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a lid
  17. staff — a stick
  18. craft — a skill
  19. land — to come down
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — a box
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com